Electrical signaling apparatus for railroads



(No Model.) 3Shets-Sheet 1.

P. L. POPE. v

ELECTRICAL SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR RAILRQADS. No. 303,589. Patented 511912, 1884.

g I 5' A i s T g a WITNESSES INVE\ITOR a I'rank Llope,

r N. warns PtwloLithogr-lphen Washmgmn. u. c

(No Model.) 3 Shets-Sheet 2.

11'. L. POPE. ELECTRICAL SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS.

No.303,589. Patented Aug." 12, 1884.

By his .Alfiorneys u. FUCHS, Photo-Lithography. Wnhlngkm. 0.1;

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet s;

P. L. 'POPE.

ELECTRICAL SIGNALINGAPPARATUS FOR RAILROADS.

No. 303,589.; Patented Aug. 12, 1884.

lUNTTan STATES PATENT Erica.

FRANK POPE, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SVVITQH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF P ITlSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,589, dated August 12, 1884-.

Application filed September 24, 1883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. Porn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Locking and Signaling Apparatus for Railroads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to asystem of electric IO switch locking apparatus, in connection with visual and audible signals, designed for the proteeti on of trains at railroad stations or j unctions; and it consists in an improved organization of locking apparatus in association with suitable visual or audible signals, either or both, which latter are included in electric circuits and controlled by circuit-closers and circuit-breakers, the latter being in some instances actuated automatically by the passage of a ]OCOl110hl"G or train, and in others by the displacement ofswitches from the main line at sidings orj u notions, and in still other cases they may be actuated manually by the station-mas ter or switchman. In accordance with myinvention, an approaching train, when ata distance of a mile (more or less) from the station or junction, gives warning of its coming by the ringing of an electric bell at or near the station, and simultaneously secures against diso placement all the switches at the junction or in the vicinity of the station by means of suitable electric locking apparatus controlled by the train. After the train has proceeded far enough to pass within the limits of the sta- 5 tion-yard or block-section a danger-signal is exhibited in the'rear of the train, and at the same moment a second electric bellis set ringing at the'station, which. continues to sound as long as the signal. is displayed. By this 40 means the train while passing through or stopping at the station is protected in its rear by the danger-signal; but as it passesout of the station-yard or block-section, or at a point situated a suitable and proper distance beyond 5 the station, automatic devices actuated by the train serve to withdraw the, danger-signal at the entrance of the station-yard or block-section and to unlock the switches. Means are provided whereby the danger-signal at the (No model.)

entrance of the station-yard or block-section may be exhibited or withdrawn at will by the station-master or switchman, in case it is, for any reason, desired to prevent a train from entering; and means are also provided whereby the said dangersignal is in like manner auto- 5 matically displayed by the displacement of any of the switches in the vicinity of the station, so as to endanger the passage of trains on the main track. The apparatus is, moreover, so organized and constructed that a dan- 6o ger-signal will infallibly be exhibited and an alarm simultaneously sounded in case any of the electric conductors are broken or otherwise interrupted, or in the event of a failure of the actuating voltaic battery to perform its proper functions.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram representing my invention, and showing the normal position of the various parts of the apparatus when the track through the statioiryard is clear for the passage of a train before the arrival of such train. Figs.

2 and 3 are diagrams showing the position which the apparatus assumes at different times during the passage of a locomotive or train 7 5 through the station-yard.

. I11 the figures, A A represents the main track extending from one end to the other of the station yard, and A and A are side tracks or branches diverging therefrom at or near the station. The trains are assumed to move over the track A A in the direction indicated by the arrows, and I remark that the apparatus herein shown and described is designed to be applied in connection with one track 5 only of a doubletrack line of railway, on which track the trains ordinarily run always in the same direction, an entirely distinct set of signaling apparatus, in all respects similar to that hereinafter to be described, being apo plied to the other track, on which the trains run in the opposite direction. The section of track A A represented in the figures may with advantage be about eight thousand feet (more or less) in length, extending, say, about five 5 thousand feet from theswitches in the direc tion from which the train approaches, and about three thousand feet in the opposite di- 'rection. At a suitable and convenient p0int say about five thousand feet in advance of the station or junction-is placed a circuitbreaker, K, of well-known construction,which is so situated as to be automatically actuated upon the passage of a moving train by means of its impact or weight, or otherwise. At a point considerably nearer the station or junction-say about three thousand feet theref1O]l1-lS placed another similar circuit-breakor, K, also adapted to be actuated by themoving train. At the entrance of the station-yard or block-signal section, and preferably in the vicinity of the last-named circuit-breaker, is placed a visual or semaphoric danger-signal, S, which is actuated or controlled by an elec tro-magnet, s. This signal apparatus may be of any convenient or suitable construction, the only condition necessary being that when the controlling or actuating electro-magnet s is vitalized by a closed circuit a safety signal shall be indicated, but when the circuit through the electro-magnet is broken a danger-signal shall be indicated. I have shown in diagram a simple form of signal which will serve to illustrate the principle of operation, consisting of a semaphore-arm, s, which is overbalanced by a weight, s tending to throw the arm into a horizontal position indicating danger, as shown in Fig. 3, but which is normally depressed, in consequence of the elevation of the weight 8 by the attractive force of the electro-magnet 8. whereby the arm .9 is maintained in avertical or nearly vertical position, denoting safety, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At the exit of the station-yard or block-section is placed a track circuitcloser, K", which is adapted to temporarily close an electric circnit upon the passage of a train in the direction indicated by the arrow.

At the station or junction the movable switch-rails,by means of which the main track is placed in connection with either of the sidings or branches Aand A, may be moved to and fro in the usual manner by means of a bridlerod, 1), which is itself moved longitudinally in one direction or the other by means of a handlever, B, or other well-known or equivalent device. A simple circuit breaker, c, of any suitable construction, is attached to some movable portion of the switch or its actuatinglever B, so that when the switch-rails are moved in either direction, so as to interrupt the continuity of the main line,an electric circuit is broken for the purpose of actuating the danger-signal at the entrance of the yard, as hereinafter explained. In practice I prefer, instead of attaching the circuit-breaker directly to some movable portion of the switch, as herein shown, to attach the same to the lock or guard of the switch-lever, in a manner fully set forth in the patent of Stephen G. Hendrickson, No. 199, 977, ofFebruary 5,1878, to which reference is had. The particular mode of attachmentis, however, immaterial, so far as the present invention is concerned,

it being only necessary that the circuit'breaker shall serve to break the circuit in case the switch is not in a safe condition for the passage of a train through the station-yard. I also apply to some suitable movable portion of the switch an electromagnetic locking device of any suitable constructionsuch, for example, as that shown and described in the patent of Oscar Gassett, No. 228,187, of June 1, 1880, to which reference is had. The principle of action of such locking device, omitting the details of its construction, is shown in the figures.

D is an electro-magnet, the armature-lever of which is pivoted at d, andprovided with a retracting-spring, d. On the end of the armature-lever is a projection, (1 which, when the armature-lever is released, fallsinto aslot, b formed in some movable portion of the switch apparatus, so that when the armature is in this posit-ion the switch will be securely.

locked until the projection d is restored .to its original position by the' action of an electric current upon the electro-magnet D. The particular construction of this device is immaterial,so far as my invention is concerned,and it may be applied directly to some movable part of the switch, as shown in the figures; but, as in the case of the circuit-breaker, it is considered preferable in practice to attach it to the lock or guard of the switch, rather than to the switch itself.

M is an electro-magnet provided with two independent coils or helices, m and in, either of which produces a like magnetic effect upon its core. The armature-lever on" of this magnet normally rests upon a contact-stop, o, and it also carries an insulated contact-spring, c, which, when the armature m falls away from the poles ofits electro magnet, is brought against a eontact'stop, c. A second electromagnet, N, provided in like manner with two independent coils or helices, a and n, has its armature-lever 11 arranged in a similar manner, normally resting upon a contact-stop, w, and carrying an insulated contact-spring, it, which plays between two fixed contactstops, w and w", as hereinafter explained.

O is a vibrating or continuously-ringing electric bell of well-knownconstruction, which may be placed upon the passenger-platforin, or in any convenient position in or about the station, the office of which is to give notice of the approach of 'a train when the same reaches the most distant cireuit-breaker K, as hereinafter explained. I is a similar vibrating or continuously-ringing electric bell, the office of which is to produce a continuous alarm so long as the signal S indicates danger,thus calling the attention of the station-master to the same. The bells O and P are actuated by a single local battery, L, common to both,which is brought into action by the electro-magnets M and N, in a manner hereinafter set forth.

NVhen the apparatus is in itsnormal position, the main track being clear for the pas- IOU ITO

leverm and the stop '0.

sage of a train through the station-yard, the course of the electric circuits may be traced as follows: the first or looking circuit, commencing at the positive'pole of the main battery E; thence by the wires 1 and 2 to the track circuit-breaker K; thence by the wire 3 to the lockingmagnetD ofthe switch, (ifthere are two or more switches in the main track, the circuit passes through their respective locking-magnets in succession thence by the wire 4 to the coil or helix m of the elect-romagnet M; thence by the wire 5, armaturelevermflcontact-stopaand wire 6 to the point7; thence returning by the wire 8 to the negative pole of the battery, E. Thus a constant electric current normally traverses the lockingriagnet l) of the switch or switches, and also the helix m of the electro-magnet lVLwhich latter electro-magnet keeps its own circuit closed by holding the lever m in contact with the contact-stop o. The second or signal circuit, which is preferably derived from the same main battery, E, may also be traced as follows: from the positive pole of the battery E by wires 1 and 9 to track circuit-breaker K;

thence by wire 10 to electro-magnet a, controlling the signal S; thence by wire 11 to circuitbreaker 0, attached to the switch or switches B;

thence by wire 12 to a manual cireuitbreaker, Q, (which may be placed in the office of the switchman or station-master) thence by wire 13 to the coil or helix a of electro-magnet N, thence by wire 14 to armature-lever a and contact-stop w, thence by wire 15 to the point 7 thence returning to the negative pole of the battery by wire 8. The electro-magnet N, by its attractive force, also keeps its own circuit closed by the contact of its armature-lever a with the contact-stop 10. if, now, a train approaches the station or junction from the direction indicated by the arrows, it first acts upon the circuit-breaker K, and temporarily interrupts the first-described or looking circuit. This causes theelectro-magnet M to release its armature m, which immediately falls off from the contactstop o, and interrupts its own circuit at this point, which thereafter remains broken at said point, notwithstanding it may have been again closed at K. Thus it will be understood that even a momentary interruption of the closed circuit at the point K will cause it to thereafter remain open until it is closed again between the armature- The position of the apparatus during the time in which the loco- .motive or train is passing from the circuitbreaker K to the circuit-breaker K will be best understood by reference to Fig. 2, in which the locking-magnet D will be seen to have released its armature, thus allowing the projection d to enter the slotb", securely looking the switch or switches, and preventing any of them from being displaced after the train has passed the point K. The falling off of the armature m when the train reaches the circuit-breaker K not only breaks the circuit of its own cleetro-magnet M, but the insulated contact-spring '0, which is mounted upon it, touches the contact-stop v, and thus closes the circuit of the independent local battery L through the alarm-bell O, which thereupon rings continuously, announcing the approach of the train and notifying-the stationmaster or switclnnan to immediately replace the switches, in case any of them are wrong. WVhen the train in its progress reaches the second circuit-breaker, K, situated at or near the entrance of the station-yard or block-section, the second or signal circuit is momentaril y broken at that point, which releases the armature if of the electro-magnet N, allowing the same to fall off and break its own circuit at the contact-stop w. The position of the apparatus after the locomotive or train has passed the second circuit-breaker, K, and is traversing the station-yard or bloclnsection, is illustrated in Fig. 3. The elect-roanagnet s has released its armature, thus causing the semaphore-arm a of the signal S to be extended in a horizontal position, indicating danger. The actuating lever B of the switch or switches still remains locked, as before. The armature-lever n of he electromagnet N has also been released, and the insulated contact-spring 10 has been lifted from the contact-stop w and brought into contact with the stop w, the result of which is to transfer the current of the local battery L from the alarm-bell O to the other continuously-ringing bell, P, whichlatter continues to sound so long as the train is at the station, or anywhere within the limits of the station yard or blocksection, while the hell 0, being required only to give warning of the approach of the train, is permitted to ring only while the train is passing from the circuit-breaker K to the circuit-breaker K, after which it ceases and the other bell, P, commences to ring. After the train has passeda sufficient distance beyond the stationsay three thousand feetand arrived at the exit of the station-yard or block-section it momentarily actuates the eircuit-closer K", (see Fig. 1,) the office of which is to restore all the apparatus to its normal position and to close the locking and signal circuits, which it does by momentarily closing a normally-open auxiliary circuit-from the same battery, which may betraced as follows: from the negative pole of the battery E by wire 16;

thence through circuit-closer K and wire 17 to the coil or helix a of the OlGCUOIIIZLgHGi/N; thence by wire 18 to the coil or helix m of electro-inagnet M, and thence by wires 19 and 1 to the positive pole of the battery. The closing of this circuit causes a current from the battery to traverse the auxiliary coils m and n, and thereby causes both armatures m and n to be simultaneously attracted, and so soon as these are brought in contact with their respective contactstops 'v and w the two circuits first describedthat is to say, the locking and the signaling circuitsare reestablished, and

IIO

thereafter hold themselves closed in the manner first described, so that although the circuit at K be instantly broken again the armatures m and n will not fall off. The closing of the locking and signal circuits Vitalizes the magnet D and unlocks the switches, and also vitalizes the magnet s' and withdraws the danger-signal. In case the switch at the station is displaced, so as to interrupt the main track, the breaking of the circuit at 0 produces precisely the same effect as if it had been broken at K by the approaching train. Thedangersignal is exhibited at S, and the continuouslyringing bell l? in the office of the switclnnan or station-master is set in operation and continues to ring as long as the switch is displaced. The replacement of the switch, on the contrary, does not withdraw the dangersignal at S. This can only be done by mementarily closing a key, 70, which completes the normallyopen auxiliary circuit in the same manner as the circuit-closer K which should be placed in the office of the switchman or station-master, and may, if necessary,

' be secured by a special lock, so that it cannot be operated by an unauthorized person.

The manual circuit breaker Q also serves to independently break the same circuit and exhibit the danger-signal if, from any cause, the station -master or switchman wishes to signal an expected train and prevent it from entering the station-yard or block-section, or passing beyond the signal S.

In case it is desirable or necessary to unlock one or more switches within the stationyard or block without withdrawing the danger-signal at the entrance of the section or blockas, for example, in case a train which has arrived at the station, and is under the protection of the danger-signal, is to be placed on a sidetrack, instead of being allowed to proceed on its way-it is only necessary that the station-master or other authorized person should open the circuit-breaker Q, and at the same time depress the key 7c. The breaking of the signal-circuit at Qwill retain the signal S at danger/ while the closing of the key It will transmit a current through the eleetro'magnet M, thus restoring the lockingcireuit and unlocking the switch or switches.

It will be obvious that the accidental breakage of a conducting-wire or the failure of a battery will either cause the signal S to indicate danger, or will prevent it from being placed in a position to indicate safety, as the case may be.

In order to guard against an erroneous safetysignal being given by an accidental contact between the wires 16 and 17, a special signal, consisting, preferably, of a small alarm-bell, Z, may be placed in the circuit of one of these wires, as shown in Fig. 1, which, in case of such accidental contact, will keep up a continuous alarm, thereby immediately calling the attention of the statioumaster to the occurrence.

It is obvious that two or more electro-mag netic switch-locks and two or more circuitbreakers operated by switches may be included in their respective circuits, so that all the switches in the main line will be simultaneously locked upon the approach of the train, and the movement of any one of these switches will cause the danger-signal to be exhibited at the entrance of the yard or block-section.

The hereinbefore-deseribed system of electric looking or unlocking of a switch-lever may be applied to any other hand actuated lever employed for similar purposes, such as that of actuating an electric or non electric safety-signal on the line of track over which the train is to pass, or for actuating a danger signal, either mechanically or electrically, upon the line of an intersecting or crossing track, so that said danger-signal lever and its signal may be locked at danger by an ap proaehing train acting upon the track circuit closer K, and thus remain locked until the train shall have passed the point of intcrsection, and have actuated a cireuitbreaker, K", for unlocking it.

It is obvious that the device is applicable to the locking and unlocking of any hand actuated lever or other mechanism ordinarily used in connection with movable appliancessuch as draw-bridges, signals, and the likeemployed on or along railway-tracks, or any one or more of a series of lovers, such as are used in the so-ealled interlocking apparatus of Saxby and Farmer, or other like systems.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a main battery, a normally-closed main or locking circuit, an electro-magnet, armature and armature-lever, a circuit-closer actuated by said armature-lever only when in proximity to the poles of said clectro-magnet, whereby said main circuit is completed through the coils of said elect-romagnet, an independent electro-magnet also included in said main circuit, and a locking device which is brought into action by the demagnetization of said electro-magnet upon the breaking of the main circuit, for preventing the displacement of a switch while said circuit remains broken.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a normally-closed main or looking electric circuit, a cireuit-breaker situated at the entrance of a determinate section of railway-track, a switch situated within said section of railway-t1.'ack, a locking device for preventing the displacement of said switch, and an electro-magnet included in said electric circuit, which causes said device to lock the switch upon the release of its armature when said electric circuit is interrupted, andto unlock the same when the circuit is restored, and a circuit-closer and connections, substantially as described, actuated from a point at or near the exit of said section of railway-track, and adapted to reestablish said I O f) circuit when actuated by a receding train, whereby said switch will remain locked during the time in which the train is traversing said section.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a main battery, a normally-closed main or looking circuit, an electro-magnet, armature and armature-lever, a circuit-closer actuated by said armature-lever only when in proximity to the poles of said electro-magnet, whereby said main circuit is completed through its coils, a circuit-breaker actuated by a moving train at another point in the same circuit, an independent electromagnet included in said circuit, a locking device which is brought into 'action by the demagnetization of the last-named electromagnet, to prevent the displacement of a switch while said circuit is broken, and an additional magnetizing-helix, auxiliary circuit, and circuit-closer actuated bya moving train, whereby the firstnamed circuit remains broken and the switch locked until said circuit is again closed by the action of the auxiliary circuit and track circuit-closer.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a main battery, a normallyclosed main or locking circuit, an electro magnet, armature and armature-lever, a circuitcloser actuated by said armature-lever only when in proximity to the poles of said electro-magnet, whereby said circuit is completed through its coils, an independent electro-mag not included in said circuit, a locking device which is brought into action by the demagnetization of the last-named electro-magnet, to prevent ,the displacement of a switch while said circuit is broken, and an additional magnetizing-helix, auxiliary circuit, and hand circuit-closer, wherebythe first-named circuit" remains broken, and the switch locked until said circuit is again closed by the completion of the auxiliary circuit by means of said hand circuit-closer.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a main battery, a normally-closed main or looking circuit, an electro-magnet, armature and armature-lever, a circuit-closer actuated by said armaturelever only when in proximity to the poles of said electro-magnet, whereby said main circuit is completed through its coils, a circuit-breaker for breaking said normally-closed main circuit, which is actuated by a moving train, an independent electro-magnet included in said circuit, a locking device which is brought into action by the demagnetization of the last- :narned electro-inagnet,to prevent the displace ment of a switch while the main circuit is broken, and an additional magnetizing-helix, auxiliary circuit, and hand circuit closer, whereby the first -nan1ed circuit remains broken and the switch locked until said circuit is again closed by the completion of the auxiliary circuit by said circuit-closer.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a main battery, a normally-closed main or locking circuit, an electro-magnet, armature and armature-lever, a circuit-closer actuated by said armature-lever only when in proximity to the poles of said electromagnet, whereby said main circuit is completed through its coils, a circuitbreaker for breaking said normally-closed main circuit, which is actuated by a moving train, an independent electro-maguet included in said circuit, a locking device which is brought into action by the demagnetization of the lastnamed electro-magnet,to prevent the displacement of a switch while the main circuit is broken, an additional magnetizing-helix, and a normally-open auxiliary circuit provided with two circuit-closers, one actuated by hand and the other by a moving train, whereby the first-named circuit remains broken and the switch locked until said circuit is again closed by the completion of the auxiliary circuit through one or the other of said circuit-010s ers.

7. The combination, substantially as here inbefore set forth, with asection of railway of determinate length, of a normally-closed lock ing-circuit, an electro-magnet included in a normally-open auxiliarycircuit, and a circuit closer actuated by the armature of said elcc tro-magnet, whereby the locking-circuit may be restored after having been broken for the purpose of actuating the locking devices.

8. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a section of railway of determinate length, of a normally-closed locking-circuit, a normally-closed signal-circuit, one or more elect-ro-magnets included in l a normally-open auxiliary circuit, and acircuitcloser actuated by the armature of said electro-m agnets, whereby both the lockin g and the signal circuit may be closed by closing the auxiliary circuit after having been broken for the purpose of actuating the locking device and signaling apparatus.

9. The combination, substantially as here inbefore set forth, of a normally-closed locking-cireuit, a normally-open auxiliary circuit, an electromagnet included in said circuit for actuating a circuit-closer in the locking-circuit, and an alarm whereby the accidental closing of the auxiliary circuit will be indicated.'

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub-. scribed my name this 1st day of September, A. D. 1883.

FRANK L. Porn. 

